A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, September 5 at 3 p.m. at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home in Ocean Springs.

Wayne was born on June 20, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the late Alfred E. Weidie and Dorothy McDonald Weidie. He and his family relocated to Pascagoula, Mississippi, where Wayne graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1959.

Wayne attended Mississippi State University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 1962. He returned to the family business, Weidie Oil in Pascagoula, for a few years upon completion of his undergraduate degree, but he followed his passions for politics and journalism into the newspaper business.

Wayne later attended graduate school at Louisiana State University and was in 1975 a graduate fellow of the Mississippi Institute of Politics at Millsaps College.

For twenty years, 1970-1990, he was publisher and editor of The Ocean Springs Record and The Gautier Independent. He also was a syndicated columnist from 1972 to 1990, and also served as a political analyst for a television station in Biloxi, Mississippi, for several years. During this time, he covered numerous political campaigns and had a front row seat to Mississippi history.

He was a past president of the Mississippi Press Association and the MPA Education Foundation Board of Directors.

Turner was laid to rest Saturday afternoon in a service at McLeod-Magnolia Cemetery in Leakesville. She passed away early Thursday morning, Aug. 17, after an extended illness. She was 78.

“I have never been around anyone who had a cross word to say about Leola,” Greene County Sheriff Stanley McLeod said. “Her and John were solid members of this community.”

“They each have left a strong legacy through the Greene County Herald and through their day-to-day interactions with the people they encountered.”

Turner was born and raised in Leakesville and lived in the county seat for all but a few months of her life. After graduating from Leakesville High School, Turner enrolled in Mississippi Southern College in Hattiesburg, where she met her husband of 56 years, John Franklin Turner, originally from Chatom, Ala.

Turner worked at the Herald in many capacities during the years her parents, William E. and Clyde Manasco, were the owners. Her work at the paper became full-time when she and John purchased the newspaper company in 1974. The couple operated the weekly publication together for three decades before incorporating the business in 2006. She became publisher of the newspaper at that time and, although her day-to-day duties had decreased, remained in that capacity until her death.

“My mother was not trained as a journalist, but she had a keen understanding of the role of a community newspaper and a deep commitment to that role for the Herald,” Editor Russell Turner said.

“She loved her community, and like my dad, firmly subscribed to the slogan of ‘Devoted to the Development of Greene County’ which is published across our masthead each week. She will be sorely missed, but her legacy will continue to guide the way we do things at the newspaper for many years to come.”

Funeral services were held Saturday, Aug. 19.]]>Tue, 29 Aug 2017 20:26:34 GMTMitchell, former Belmont publisher, dieshttps://www.mspress.org/news/news.asp?id=180313
https://www.mspress.org/news/news.asp?id=180313BELMONT – Mariel WayneMitchell, 77, died Monday, June 23, 2014, in Tupelo, after a long illness. He was born September 18, 1936, in Itawamba County to the late Oliver Russell Mitchell and Bertha Tucker Mitchell .

He graduated from Itawamba Agricultural High School and Itawamba Community College, attended Freed-Hardeman University, the University of South Alabama and the University of South Mississippi.

He served as a minister in Florida, Alabama and several locations throughout Mississippi.

He began his preaching career in 1957 at the Kosciusko Church of Christ.

He purchased The Belmont and Tishomingo Journal from Mr. Delmus Hardin in August of 1976 and later The County Shopper. Also he owned KeMa Publishing.

He was appointed by Governor Haley Barbour in January 2011 to serve on the Mississippi State Board of Funeral Service as an at-large member, and was honored by being selected as the Secretary/Treasurer for this group. He spent the last 17 years as the minister of the Mt. Gilead Church of Christ in Itawamba County, the place where he preached his first sermon in 1952.

A service celebrating his life was Thursday, June 26, 2014, at Liberty Church of Christ in Dennis. Burial was in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Fulton. Senter Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

A wake will be held from 6-9 p.m., Wednesday, June 25 at Freeman Funeral Home in Leakesville.

He graduated from Washington County High School and the University of Southern Miss. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He served on the Mississippi Prison Industries Corporation Board of Directors for 18 years, where he had many friends. He owned and edited the Greene County Herald, and was a member of First Baptist Church of Leakesville where he served as deacon and last year was honored as deacon emeritus. He was a founding member of Leakesville Volunteer Fire Department, and was a former Civil Defense Director of Greene County. In his spare time he loved to fish, turkey hunt and deer hunt.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel Webster and Pearl Turner; brothers, J.C., Bill, and Dan Turner; and son Randy Turner.

A native of Lucedale and a graduate of the Lucedale School System, Mr. Goff entered the United States Army following graduation from high school and trained and served in Germany during the Korean War. Upon discharge from the service, he attended Mississippi College in Clinton, graduating with a degree in Chemistry. After graduation from Mississippi College, he coached and taught school in Shaw.

Upon the death of his father-in-law, Jimmy Arrington (then editor and owner of The News-Commercial) on December 25, 1957, he began working with the newspaper, becoming Editor in 1960. He returned to coaching in 1962 when he took the position of coach and teacher at Mount Olive High School, a position he served until 1966.

Mr. Goff was Editor and co-owner of The News-Commercial, a position he held for some fifty-four years. He worked hard through the years to build the newspaper and experienced the many different changes in the printing process. Mr. Goff used the newspaper to better the county, state and individual lives of all its residents. In 2008, he invested in a new venture, Our South Magazine, and served as its Editor-In-Chief.

A devout Christian, he was a faithful member and deacon of the First Baptist Church of Collins where he served in many capacities, including Chairman of the Deacons, Sunday School teacher, a member of the Adult Choir, and worked with numerous committees and ministries.

As a community leader, among the many civic organizations in which he was active was the Collins Rotary Club where he was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a member and past board of directors member of the Okatoma Golf Club. He retired as a referee with the Mississippi High School Activities Association. While at Mississippi College, he was president of the M-Club. A supporter of the Covington County Hospital in Collins, he was a past member of the Board of Trustees.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Edward and Esta Mae Parker Goff; his brothers, Edward Goff and Bill Goff; his sisters, Mary Henderson and Maxine Cochran; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, James D. Jr. (Jamie) and Judy Miley Arrington; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, James D. Sr. (Jimmy) and Alyne Rogers Arrington.

Survivors include his wife of fifty-seven years, Analyn Arrington Goff of Collins; his daughter, Anna Goff of Collins; his son, James Arrington Goff of Collins; his brother, Frank Goff of Knoxville, Tennessee; his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jeannie and Dr. Albert S. Gooch Jr. of Flat Rock, North Carolina; and many nieces and nephews, including Jay Arrington of Mize, Alyson Gooch Thorn and Tres Gooch, both of Flat Rock, North Carolina, and John Goff of Lucedale.